I installed the Ubuntu 12.04 from LXF159 and ran into a problem with the root password when I tried to use the command line and SU. It kept telling me my password was invalid. The Ubuntu documentation on 12.04 says the first user password defined on installation will be the root password. I have no problem logging on to the system with this password (meaning there are no typos). Any help on this or is my next step to re-install?

Only the once then you have full root access as far as I can tell until you close the terminal it was issued from.

We're probably splitting hairs here, but it is still not really using the root account, as far as I'm aware, but just raising the user to temporary root permissions.

I agree, however, it can be useful if you're doing something that requires continual re-entry of the sudo password, as that terminal retains root permissions until closed; one reason why using sudo su is rather frowned on by ubuntuforums, if not quite banned from being talked about.

This discussion brings up the question of the root password. Once I am in root and change the password using passwd XXXX does this also change the user password. And if I were back in user mode and changed the password of the initial user would the root password change?

Only the once then you have full root access as far as I can tell until you close the terminal it was issued from.

We're probably splitting hairs here, but it is still not really using the root account, as far as I'm aware, but just raising the user to temporary root permissions.

I agree, however, it can be useful if you're doing something that requires continual re-entry of the sudo password, as that terminal retains root permissions until closed; one reason why using sudo su is rather frowned on by ubuntuforums, if not quite banned from being talked about.